City Perspectives: Adrienne Pitts’ London (Part II)

In Part II of this City Perspectives series on London, Adrienne Pitts (@hellopoe) shares images from the hashtag #AdrienneHeartsLondon, her self-proclaimed photographic love letter to her adopted home city.

What inspired the #adrienneheartslondon hashtag?

It was a couple of things that made me start collecting my London photographs under this hashtag!

I started getting a lot of emails and messages from people who were planning on coming to London and were looking for recommendations of places to go that weren’t the usual tourist traps. I love sharing inside knowledge of places I enjoy, and I realised that it would make sense to group the photos I take under one hashtag so that people could easily see what my favourite places are!

On a more personal level, there are some days where I love this city, and others where it is grey and rainy and I really miss my homeland of New Zealand. So I wanted to be able to gather together some of my images together to remind myself of my favourite elements of the city. It’s so nice to be able to look back and be reminded of the moments and places and people that make this city so unique and special.

How do you determine which photos become a part of the hashtag? Is adding photos to it mostly intentional or spontaneous?

It’s very simple. If it’s taken in London, and is a place that I love, then it gets hashtagged. It can be as simple as a great bit of graffiti, or as meaningful as the place I go to escape the hustle and bustle and get some quiet time. If I love it, then I share it.

Did you fall in love with London immediately or was it more gradual?

In all honesty, it took me a while. I visited here when I was 16 and had the great fortune to travel to a lot of different places before I ended up here. In fact, I’d always resolved that I would never live in London – there were so many other places that I would happily make a home in. But a series of events led me here in my mid-twenties, and I’ve ended up staying longer than I originally intended! Once I found my place in the city and a group of friends I loved, London really opened up to me, and now I feel as though I have a place here, which is pretty wonderful.

People always talk about finding their “soul mate”. Do you think it’s possible to have a “soul city”

Absolutely, but I think you can most definitely have more than one! I would very happily also live in New York City or California. Both places offer so many things which I love and I hope that at some point I can have the experience of living in both. I love London, but I seem to constantly move around, so I know that the time will come when I will be ready for a change.

You say that the hashtag is like your love letter to London. What message do you hope the images put forth to the city?

I hope that the images showcase the many different sides of the city through an honest lens. I hope they portray London in all it’s dirty-messy-beautiful-sunny-rainy glory.

Passion Passport’s community includes explorers, creators and storytellers from around the globe. Their travel experiences have challenged them, shaped their perspective of the world and given them a better sense of who they are. Both online and off, Passion Passport offers the opportunity to connect with one another, to share those pivotal moments, and to travel with purpose.

Your Journey Awaits

Passion Passport’s community includes explorers, creators and storytellers from around the globe. Their travel experiences have challenged them, shaped their perspective of the world and given them a better sense of who they are. Both online and off, Passion Passport offers the opportunity to connect with one another, to share those pivotal moments, and to travel with purpose.